


A Thousand Songs

by IlanaNight



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: M/M, Pirate!Bill, Pirates, Siren!Dipper, Sirens, ace!bill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-29
Updated: 2015-08-29
Packaged: 2018-04-17 19:35:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4678745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IlanaNight/pseuds/IlanaNight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>... and only one duet. </p><p>Bill camps his pirate ship on an island that plays host to a siren with a haunting voice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Thousand Songs

**Author's Note:**

> hello today is pirate/siren day for billdip week and i'm in sea shanty hell. when you get to the italicised lyrics, here are the songs
> 
> Drunken Sailor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_RWtdm81WU  
> Leave Her, Johnny: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fVQwzv5Qfc

Bill could tell by the cast to the sea and the clouds on the horizon that a storm was brewing, and tropical storms were nothing to be messed with. He knew of far too many men who’d lost their ships or their lives to a ravenous ocean and a furious storm. The sea claimed all who thought to best its majesty, hubris was not welcome here.

 

Taking his telescope in hand, Bill surveyed the skyline and spotted an island to the west. Whistling, he raised a hand and pointed, calling down to the man at the helm, “Take a turn to starboard, we’re headed for land! I want to pull’er ashore before that storm hits.”

 

The helmsman raised a hand in salute, “Aye, aye, sir. Shall I set the boys to rowing? The winds with us, but we might need the extra speed.”

 

“Aye, best to give the boys some work, I’ve been spoiling’em as of late!” A carefree laugh escaped the captain’s lips as he looked to the island again. It wasn’t on the map, so with any luck, they’d be the only ones there while they waited out the storm.

 

Surveyance complete, Bill took to the rigging, shifting the sails to make full use of the easterly winds blowing firmly from behind them. From here, at the top of the ship, he felt like king of the world, and in a way, he was. There was no one above him, no one to give him orders or question his decisions, he was a free man without loyalties.

 

It beat being the son of a nobleman anyday.

 

The salty wind whipped at Bill’s hat, threatening to blow it from his head and he couldn’t help but laugh breathlessly. Some days he was amazed by how his life had turned out.

 

Eventually, though, he had to come down from the top of the world, swinging down on the rope nets and rigging. Halfway down the last rope ladder of the mast, Bill let go, swinging off to land on the balls of his feet on the deck of his ship, a grin on his face, amidst a smattering of applause. Pulling his hat off, he bent at the waist in a theatrical bow, twirling his hat in the process before straightening and placing it on his head again.

 

“Back to work, boys, I don’t pay you to gawk!” The words were barked with good natured authority as Bill sauntered off to his quarters to pack a bag for their stay on the island.

 

Clothes, an observation journal, a couple of books, and various other daily essentials were carefully packed into a rucksack and tossed over Bill’s shoulders just as the cry echoed back the ship from the bow.

 

“Land, ho!”

 

Adjusting his eyepatch and righting his hat, Bill stepped out of his quarters into the afternoon sun. The island was close now, another fifteen minutes at most, and still showed no signs of civilisation. A little island away from the works, the perfect place for a day's rest away from the storm.

 

"Prepare to ground the ship and gather belongings for a night's rest under the stars, boys. A shore leave will do us all good."

 

"Oy, Captain, when we gonna get some shore leave in spittin' distance of some broads?" A series of catcalls and jeers accompanied the question as his first mate leant against the railing, "Or fairy gents, if they're more your taste, sir."

 

Bill let out a pealing laugh, shaking his head, "None of those suit my taste, I'm afraid. I've only got one lust, and its for adventure on the high seas! I told you that when you signed up for this voyage! No ladies for you lot 'til we reach harbour."

 

A chorus of good-natured complaints rose up as the men went below decks in shifts, packing their bags and stacking crates of food and barrels of rum to be brought ashore. The men would enjoy themselves tonight.

 

Once the ship was anchored, the crew set about bringing down their bags and supplies, working to the jolly tune of a sea shanty. Bill watched from the deck, humming along with the songs as he checked the ropes and weights.

 

_What do you do with a drunken sailor?_  
_What do you do with a drunken sailor?_  
_What do you do with a drunken sailor early in the morning?_

 

Bill imagined he'd be asking himself that about most of the crew come morning, but his shake of the head was good natured in its indulgence. They deserved a night of carousing.

 

By the time the cargo was unloaded and camp made, the sun was dipping below the horizon and the men were sitting themselves around fires for supper and fanciful tales, complete with an ample amount of rum. Several of the circles called out to Bill, offering him their company, but he waved them off. He had to record the day in his journal before retiring to bed, and while his men could afford to be a tad hungover tomorrow, he needed to maintain his decorum as a captain.

 

Journal in one hand, a lantern in another, Bill made his way further onto the island, trying to find a quiet place away from the rabble-rousing of his compatriots below. He settled on a clearing amidst trees, settling himself on a rock and lighting the lantern as he began to write, noting their position by the stars and jotting down the distance they’d traveled before settling in for the night. Little tidbits from the day were recorded as well, his favourite joke overheard, the number of seagulls he’d caught sight of. Details that meant everything and nothing.

 

It was just as he finished writing and prepared to take up his lantern and leave that he heard the soft singing, a crooning sound unlike anything he’d ever heard. It was none of the men of his crew, of that much he was certain. He’d heard them all sing, sober or otherwise, at least once, and none of them sounded quite so… unearthly.

 

Caught up in his curiousity and the beauty of the sound, Bill turned around, walking further in to the island rather than returning to his camp. Up and over the hill that was the island’s defining feature, following the voice until it led him to a sheltered cove, low cliffs on either side with a sloping beach leading down to the water. Carefully, Bill made his way down the path to the water’s edge, catching sight of the creature producing the haunting sound.

 

A young man who appeared to be a bit younger than Bill himself was visible in the water from the waist up, and Bill might have been fooled into thinking he was just another visitor to the island, if it weren’t for the flash of scales under the water that revealed the creature’s true identity. Understanding dawned on Bill’s face as he sat down on a rock at the water’s edge, listening to the song with a smile on his face.

 

Only a siren could produce such beautiful music.

 

Bill’s eye slipped closed, the captain swaying back and forth to the music. He was unfamiliar with the song, but it spoke to his soul and he found himself humming along, though he did not know the words- if there were any. The haunting quality to the voice captivated Bill beyond his capacity to comprehend the sounds.

 

The captain was jarred from his listening as the siren stopped singing with a gasp, water splashing. Bill’s golden eye blinked open, watching as the siren disappeared under the water, shocked and startled. When he rose again, though, he was much closer than he had been, only a few feet from where Bill sat on the waterside rock.

 

“I didn’t mean to startle you. I heard you singing and couldn’t help but come and listen. You have a beautiful singing voice, but then I suppose that’s to be expected from someone of your sort,” Bill chuckled softly, though he was disappointed by the loss of the music.

 

When the siren spoke, it was with a voice that belied the musicality of it’s being, and brown eyes stared up at Bill with confusion, “You’ve been listening? For how long, human?”

 

“Not sure, really. Got lost in the song. But from the moon’s rising.. an hour’s half, perhaps?” The shrug that came in response was nonchalant and uncaring, and only provoked more confusion from the siren.

 

He swam a bit closer, only a foot between the siren and the captain now, “You’ve been here so long and haven’t joined me in the water… how? Don’t you want to take a swim with me?”

 

Bill took off his hat, placing it in his lap and fixing his hair with another shrug, “Not particularly. Water would dampen the sound, really, and I’d rather hear your voice clear out in the air. All I really want to do is sit here and listen, it’s like a private concert.”

 

The siren frowned for a moment before smiling, certain that it had simply been because he hadn’t been actively trying to lure the pirate in, “Well, then let me sing for you again, a song just for you, dear sailor.”

 

“You can call me Bill, siren-sir. No need for epithets, I go by my name among all, aside from those of my crew who see it necessary to call me Captain Cipher.”

 

“A captain, hmm? I am honoured indeed with your company,” the siren smiled, what would it mean if the man knew his name? It would be the last thing he knew, “If you would like the same pleasantry, I am called Dipper. And I will sing you the song of my heart.”

 

Bill smiled, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his knees, his face in his hands, “I can’t wait to hear it.”

 

And with that, Dipper was off again, mouth open wide as his voice rang forth, clear and clean and just as beautiful as it had been before. Bill watched as the siren put his all into it, occasionally flashing the captain smiles and winks amidst the hauntingly beautiful notes, the eerie melodies that sent a shiver down Bill’s spine.

 

He’d never heard something more beautiful in his life.

 

When the siren’s song came to an end, Bill was roused to applaud, hands coming together in a smattering of claps, a grin on his face, “That was amazing! Here I thought your voice couldn’t get any better, but I was wrong, Dipper.”

 

The siren swam closer again, resting up on the rock that Bill sat on. He was visibly confused and frustrated, he’d never met a human so resistant to his charms. Men and women of all ages and preferences had thrown himself into the water to join him, glad to drown if it was in his arms, but this one man, this blond pirate with a single eye, listened without batting an eye, caring only for the quality of his voice.

 

Dipper wasn’t sure how to feel about the revelation, he was unused to company or compliments, save for those screamed to him as he dragged them down.

 

“I cannot hope to hold a candle, but would you like to hear a song I’m fond of? I mean, you’ve been serenading me for almost an hour now, you deserve something in return. I’m a man of bargains, after all.”

 

The siren’s head tilted to the side, but in the end he shrugged, settling his head atop his arms on the rock, “I’ve never heard a human sing before, so it will be a new experience for me.”

 

Smiling, Bill loosened his ascot, shrugging, “I’m only familiar with sea shanties, so I will apologise in advance if you’re not impressed.”

 

And before Dipper could make any more statements, Bill closed his eyes and leant back, beginning to sing. The sound was quiet at first, almost too quiet for Dipper to hear, but slowly the captain gained confidence and began to sing louder.

 

_Leave her Johnny, leave her._   
_Oh, leave her Johnny, leave her_   
_Oh, the voyage is done, and the winds don’t blow_   
_And it’s time for us to leave her._

 

Dipper watched with amazement as the human sang. Bill’s voice was much more rough than his own, but it was beautiful all the same, and the siren was unused to hearing any songs but his own. It was exciting and intriguing, and for the first time, he was glad that Bill hadn’t been tempted to drown with him- this was much better.

 

When Bill’s voice faded off into the night, Dipper pushed himself further up the rock, leaning heavily on his arms to look Bill in the eyes, “Can you teach me that?”

 

Surprised, Bill flushed and ran a hand through his hair, shrugging, “Sure, I suppose? It’s not too hard, really. We use them when we’re working, so they’re nice and easy, that way everyone can learn them.”

 

“I don’t know any human songs, please teach me. I… I liked it a lot.” And now it was Dipper’s turn to flush as Bill grinned, excited.

 

Leaning close, the captain hummed the tune for a bit before going the words over a few times. It didn’t take Dipper long to pick those up, and once he had those down, Bill sang the melody over and over until Dipper mimicked it perfectly. It was different in the siren’s voice, of course, clear and ringing as opposed to Bill’s rough vibrato, but it was exquisite in its own way.

 

At some point, Bill shifted so he was sitting with his feet in the water, the captain and the siren switching off on verses of the shanty and joining each other for the chorus. Since Dipper had the melody down pat, Bill split off into a harmony for the chorus, and the siren stopped to stare at him, flushing once again.

 

“I… I’ve never… sung a duet before.”

 

Grinning, Bill brushed his hair out of his face, “Well, now you can’t say that, can you? And I can’t say I’ve never spent the night awake with a man.”

 

Both of them had to laugh at that, though the flush lingered on both of their faces, “A night of firsts, them, isn’t this?” Dipper leant out of the water, brown eyes staring into a singular gold iris, only inches between them.

 

“I suppose it is.”

 

There was a quiet, warm intimacy between the two as the sun began to rise between them. A frown touched Bill’s lips as he looked to the east for a moment before looking back at Dipper.

 

“And a night of lasts, I fear, for the two of us, at least.”

 

Dipper, too, was frowning now as he looked to the west, where Bill had come from, “You have a ship to captain, don’t you?”

 

“Regrettably, yes. And I love my ship and her crew too much to leave them, no matter how much I enjoy your company and your voice. I made a promise to see them to the end of our journey, and I don’t break my promises.”

 

A forlorn expression crossed the siren’s face as he sighed, looking down, “I don’t know why I thought there could be anything else. I’m a siren, we’re doomed to be alone, even the exception to our rules couldn’t change that.”

 

Concerned and sympathetic, Bill’s hand pulled at Dipper’s chin, coercing the siren to look back up at him, “I may have to leave you, but you’ll always have the memories. You’ll always have your first duet.”

 

“And probably my last.”

 

Spurred on by an impulse he didn’t understand, Bill leant forward, pressing a kiss to the siren’s lips before he began to gather his things, “I’ll mark this island on my map, Dipper… And I’ll be back someday, I promise. Tonight’s duet won’t be your last.”

 

Matching flushes coloured their cheekbones as Bill stood, touching Dipper’s face one last time before turning away to make his way back to his crew’s camp. Daybreak was approaching and they would be setting out soon now that the sea was calm.

 

“Hail and well met, Dipper!”

 

“...The same to you, Bill Cipher.”

 

And with that, Bill turned on his heel and walked away, making his way back the way he came.

 

Behind him, in the distance, he heard the soft, sorrowful crooning of the siren.

 

_Leave me, Billy, leave me_   
_Oh leave me, Billy, leave me_   
_For your voyage has come, and I cannot go_   
_And it’s time for you to leave me._

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> i will never escape pirate hell


End file.
